Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans
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Free Music Notes for Tales from Topographic Oceans
Free Music Review: My sweet love
Hit: 5 Stars
This album, of all the Yes albums, symbolizes the true beauty of Yes' ability to compose elegant, thoughtful and precise, yet mind-blowing pieces.
BUY IT and LISTEN TO IT at least 3 TIMES all the way through and you, too, will want to be taken beneath the oceans over and over again...
Free Music Review: Not for everyone
Hit: 5 Stars
Judging by the reviews there are a lot of seasoned Yes fans who just don't like this cd. I happen to really like 'Tales'.
Someone called it 'not for the meditative faint of heart'. That's a true statement. There are some 'out there' moments that would seem to fit into a new age recording. But it works for me in this setting.
'Tales' is not for everyone. True, the songs are a bit more experimental than you'll find elsewhere. Some listeners might even find it a bit weird. But Yes is a prog rock band and I think they needed to push the envelope some. This is where they pushed!
So even if you're a big Yes fan you might be taking a chance with this cd. But it's not the end of the world. If you buy it and hate it then give it a bad review and blast me out for recommending it.
Hopefully you'll find it to be as enjoyable as I have found it to be.
Free Music Review: Rainbows, sunshine, alternate view!
Hit: 5 Stars
As a kid, I was into classical music so Yes appealed to me if only because the songs were long and complex. Being the longest and most complex of their albums, I obviously liked Tales. I listen to the modern groups but, to this day, Yes is the only music I never tire of. There's something pure and smart and "nice" about it. Some people listen to music that makes them want to commit suicide. Yes makes you want to live.
Free Music Review: Well, if you don't like Yes, you really won't like this one...
Hit: 5 Stars
Back in college, I had a classmate who was wild into the Grateful Dead. I think I kind of rubbed her the wrong way, because "Truckin'" was all I knew of the Dead, but I was a major Yes fan.
If you like Yes, this is about as good as it gets. Four songs, each an album side. Rocking, but meditative. Intricate and thoughtful, but energetic. The liner notes give the "blah blah blah" (which I learned from, don't get me wrong), but the music sounds really good, after all these years of now-scratchy LP listening. Sounds great on an iPod!
Well, time has gone on, and I've listened to a lot more of the Dead. I appreciate the Dead more than then, but having re-immersed in "Tales," I am really really pleased. (BTW, there are a couple alternate versions in addition to the original album lineup. On first listen, they're at least okay.)
Oh, if you want three minute songs like they used to play on the radio, this album is definitely not for you. Try "American Beauty" (or Yes Fragile).
Signed,
A Fan
Free Music Review: The Only Word To Desribe It, Is "Brilliance"
Hit: 5 Stars
I will start by stating there are 4 types of classic Yes fans:
Ones who would say "The Yes Album" is their favorite album.
Ones who would say "Fragile" is their favorite album.
Ones who would say "Close To The Edge" is their favorite album (which represent the greatest number of Yes fans.)
and Ones who would say "Relayer" is their favorite album.
Clearly their most underrated album is the brilliant, monumental and magnificent Tales From Topographic Oceans.
Which, judging by most reviews on this site, really seems to be lacking in fans. Or more, "obsessors" like myself.
Well, I come here to tell all you with the headlines "Obnoxious and Over-Indulgent Piece of Prog" are not necesarrily stupid, or musically inclined. Only confused, and overall lacking in musical patience.
And this piece of music is hardly "indulgent" at all.
"Indulgent" would be to describe too much improvisation and soloing and dragging out of songs and riffs over and over.
The longest of TFTO's suites may last a mere 6-7 minutes.
These are not improvisations, or solos, these are carefully constructed and utterly brilliant rock compositions so PROLIFIC that they stretched out a never-before-seen 80 minutes on an album.
And being a bit of a Dead-Head myself, I will state, I know (and enjoy) indulgent rock.
But I ALSO love Prog, and prog really is not indulgent at all.
Compared to the, (I hate to say it,) overrated "Close To The Edge" (which is a brilliant listen, I must give it it's credit, I just don't understand its mass acclaim,) TFTO stretches out more than twice the length. No, that does NOT mean twice as "indulgent," folks, that means more than twice the amount of songwriting. Could you call The Beatles, who at their prime were realeasing 3 albums a year (each without a dull moment on them) INDULGENT?!? No, the word would be "prolific."
At this time, the songwriting of Yes was prolific.
It only took them a year to construct this masterpiece, even in the middle of the mass touring from the recent Close To The Edge release.
They were all quite proud of it, by the time it was done and before it was released to the public. But then the critics listened to it. And didnt understand it.
Well, OF COURSE!
THEY ONLY GAVE IT ONE LISTEN!
Being the prog listeners that we are, we all know it takes about 3-4 listens to start to catch on to a prog album. And once we catch on... boy, is it a great ride! Sometimes classically composed music like this is SO much better when you know whats coming next. But this of course, takes above all: PATIENCE.
And patience is what the critics did not have.
But we can't really blame them,can we? They listen to about 10 new albums a day, they don't have the time to give this lengthy 80 minute art piece "3-4 LISTENS" in one sitting!!
The general public, and already-Yes fans moreover, didn't quite realize this either. Most of them read the critics reviews before giving the album its recquired 3-4 listens, and gave up, agreeing that this stuff was stupid and over-indulgent prog garbage.
But there were few that held patience.
They were few and far between, but they were greatly rewarded with one of the greatest rock compositions in its histroy. And this hardly even rock and roll. It truly is more along the lines of classical, only featuring the traditional "rock band" instrunments; making the sound a little heavier.
Personally, I was hooked by the opening synth riff of THE REVEALING. I mean... sheer beauty. I really could go into each of the four main "songs" (if that's what you want to call them,) but its really unimportant, their descriptions would probably only be to vague, and the point really is for you to experience them for yourself. And besides, the extensive length of the album would only make this review even longer.
But to describe it all in one word: "moody."
The different moods of the album are endless, and shift around in various directions, but it in the ended is constructed to all flow like a river, and by the time its over you will look back feeling it was all quite relaxing. Yes: hardly "rock and roll."
30 years later, the number of TFTO fans has little increased, and its almost quite sad. Before, it was fun for us; it was almost like our little "best-kept secret." But after a while, we got lonely, because we have no one to share its glory with.
So, reader, my only suggestion for you is to purchase this record, as soon as you feel like it, and pay your dues. Give it some time, let it grow on you by itself. It will take work, but the light at the end of this tunnel is so bright and delightful, you most likely fall in love.
And hey, only adding one more member to the Tales From Topographic Oceans fans can, and will make quite a difference.